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Chapter 131: Mei Terumi's Deflective Strategy
🕑 Added 2024-06-30 16:44:02 +0000 UTC"Old man, why did you call me?" Tsunade asked.
Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane, standing beside the Third Hokage, frowned slightly at Tsunade's tone. But considering Tsunade's power and status, they let it slide.
"Take a look at this," the Third Hokage said, handing her the letter and photos.
Tsunade glanced at the photos casually before reading through the letter's contents. Her eyebrows raised when she saw that the masked man had used the Deep Forest Emergence and attacked the Sand Village.
"So, this guy went to the Land of Wind for a fight. No wonder he hasn't come to see me this month," she thought, then shook her head. "Why am I even thinking about him?"
Tsunade quickly deduced that the shocking battle outside the Sand Village was most likely Shishou's doing. Unlike the Third Hokage and others, who still believed that the Deep Forest Emergence was performed by the masked man from the Akatsuki, Tsunade knew better.
"So, he caused all this? Impressive. I might not be able to beat him now. Well, I never could, actually," she mused, tossing the photos back to the Third Hokage and turning to leave. "You guys decide what to do. Don't need my input."
"I'm busy," she added, eager to get back to losing money in card games with Ino, Hinata, and Shizune.
"Wait, Tsunade..." the Third Hokage called after her, but she only responded with the sound of the door slamming shut.
"She doesn’t give her teacher any respect," the Third Hokage muttered, irritated.
Danzo, Homura, and Koharu all rolled their eyes. With a student like her, respect was hard to come by.
In the Land of Water, Kirigakure.
"What kind of trouble has Shishou stirred up this time?" Mei Terumi, the Fifth Mizukage, frowned at the news from the Sand Village.
Like Tsunade, she immediately guessed that Shishou was behind the masked man's use of Deep Forest Emergence and the attack on the Sand Village. Mei was frustrated that Shishou hadn't visited her recently, denying her the pleasure of his company.
She was also concerned about her strength not keeping pace with Shishou's. She didn’t want to be just a pretty face, especially not as the Mizukage.
"Mizukage-sama, what did the Fourth Kazekage write?" Ao, standing before Mei's desk, asked.
"See for yourself," she replied, handing over the letter and photos before walking to the window to gaze at the bustling village below.
Thanks to Shishou’s investment in Kirigakure’s economy and infrastructure, the village was prospering, shedding its former image of decay and desolation.
"This level of power..." Elder Gengetsu muttered, shocked by the photos of the massive summon beast and the planetary devastation. These large-scale, powerful jutsu and gigantic summon beasts were beyond his comprehension.
"If the masked man possesses such power, it’s terrifying. But if this was his opponent’s doing, the masked man from the Akatsuki is equally fearsome. Either way, it's a significant threat to Kirigakure."
"Mizukage-sama, what do you think of the Fourth Kazekage's proposal?" Ao asked, regaining his composure.
Mei knew the ninja world was a place of life-and-death struggles. Showing weakness only emboldened enemies. Seeing the Sand Village taking the lead, she naturally agreed.
"We can't always be on the defensive. We need to show the Akatsuki what Kirigakure is made of."
Moreover, she thought, if things got tough, she could always call on Shishou for help. Having him as a backer was reassuring.
"I'll write to the other villages, agreeing to join the joint investigation. And we can confirm that one of the combatants at the Sand Village was the masked man from the Akatsuki who used Deep Forest Emergence," she said.
Recognizing Shishou's intention to shift the blame onto the masked man, Mei decided to support his ploy. By officially attributing the Deep Forest Emergence to the Akatsuki's masked man, she hoped to divert attention away from Shishou and increase the pressure on the Akatsuki.
"Yes, Mizukage-sama," Ao replied, leaving to draft the letters.
With Ao gone, Mei decided to take a lunch break. Returning to her residence, she brightened upon seeing Shishou.
"When did you get here?" she asked, pulling the young-looking Shishou into a hug.
"Just a while ago," Shishou replied, enjoying her scent but quickly wriggling free. He preferred hugging others to being hugged.
"Was that battle outside the Sand Village your doing?" Mei asked curiously.
"Yes, I was fighting the leader of the Akatsuki. We had to retreat when the Sand ninja arrived," Shishou explained, pulling Mei onto his lap as they sat on a stone bench in the courtyard. Mei's height compared to his current form felt strange to him.
"The leader of the Akatsuki?" Mei was taken aback.
"Yes, he's incredibly strong. That planetary devastation was his doing," Shishou said, his thoughts drifting as he enjoyed the feel of Mei in his arms.
"Planetary devastation?" Mei shifted uncomfortably.
"Yes, that moon-like thing in the sky," Shishou clarified.
"You wore the mask to pin the Deep Forest Emergence on the masked man?" Mei asked.
"More or less."
"I have an idea," she whispered in his ear. "I can tell the other villages, as the Mizukage, that the battle outside the Sand Village was an internal conflict within the Akatsuki—a power struggle between the mysterious masked man and the Akatsuki leader. This would not only pin the Deep Forest Emergence on the masked man but also make other villages wary of the Akatsuki and intensify their investigations."
"In that case, the Akatsuki would either have to confront the five great ninja villages directly or go into hiding to continue developing in secret," she suggested.
Shishou looked at her, surprised. How does she always hit so close to the truth, he wondered. The Akatsuki did have internal factions, though they hadn't yet reached a deadly conflict.
"That's a brilliant plan," he acknowledged, pulling her closer.
